Skip to main content
Log in

Self-Efficacy to Use Condoms in Unmarried Latino Adults

  • Published:
American Journal of Community Psychology

Abstract

Measures of self-efficacy to use condoms can clarify the barriers to condom use Latinos encounter. A 20-item scale, that differed slightly for men and women, and was based on extensive elicitation interviews, was used in a random digit dial household survey of 1,600 unmarried Latino adults in 10 states with large Latino populations. Self-efficacy was related to condom use for both men and women. Factor analyses revealed five correlated factors: Regular Partner, Impulse Control, Partner Resistance, STD Thoughts, and Condom Discussion. Both men and women reported lowest self-efficacy for impulse control and using condoms with a regular partner. Less-educated men and women had lower self-efficacy to discuss condoms, to manage partner resistance, to use condoms with a regular partner, and to control impulses, but there were few other demographic differences in self-efficacy. The scale can be helpful in the design and evaluation of HIV prevention.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Bandura, A. (1994). Social cognitive theory and exercise of control over HIV infection. In J. L. P. Ralph & J. DiClemente (Eds.), Preventing AIDS: Theories and methods of behavioral interventions. AIDS prevention and mental health (pp. 25-59). New York: Plenum Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bentler, P. M. (1990). Comparative fit indices in structural models. Psychological Bulletin, 107, 238-246.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bentler, P. M., & Bonett, D. G. (1980). Significance tests and goodness-of-fit in the analysis of covariance structures. Psychological Bulletin, 88, 588-600.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blom, G. (1958). Statistical estimates and transformed beta variables. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brafford, L., & Beck, K. (1991). Development and validation of a condom self-efficacy scale for college students. Journal of American College Health, 39, 219-225.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brien, T., Thombs, D., Mahoney, C., & Wallnau, L. (1994). Dimensions of self-efficacy among three distinct groups of condom users. Journal of American College Health, 42, 167-174.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brindis, C. (1992). Adolescent pregnancy prevention for Hispanic youth: The role of schools, families, and communities. Journal of School Health, 62, 345-351.

    Google Scholar 

  • Browne, M. W., & Cudeck, R. (1993). Alternative ways of assessing model fit. In K. A. Bollen & J. S. Long (Eds.), Testing structural equation models (pp. 136-162). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Commerce, Garcia, J., & Montgomery, P. (1991). The Hispanic population in the United States: March 1991 (Current Population Reports: Population Characteristics, Series P-20 No. 455).

  • Burgos, N., & Diaz-Perez, Y. (1986). An exploration of human sexuality and the Puerto Rican culture. Journal of Social Work & Human Sexuality, 4, 135-150.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cox, D., & Snell, E. (1989). The analysis of binary data (2nd ed.). London: Chapman & Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dempster, A. P., Laird, N. M., & Rubin, D. B. (1977). Maximum likelihood estimation from incomplete data via the EM Algorithm (with discussion), Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, B39, 1-38.

    Google Scholar 

  • Diaz, R. M. (1998). Latino gay men and HIV: A cultural guide to AIDS education and prevention. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gómez, C., & Marín, B. (1996). Gender, culture, and power: Barriers to HIV prevention strategies for women. Journal of Sex Research, 33, 355-362.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jöreskog, K. G., & Sörbom, D. (1993). LISREL 8 user's reference. Chicago: Scientific Software.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kalton, G. (1983). Introduction to survey sampling. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Little, R. J. A., & Rubin, D. B. (1989). Statistical analysis with missing data. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • MacDonald, N., Wells, G., Fisher, W., Warren, W., & King, M. (1990). High-risk STD/HIV behavior among college students. Journal of the American Medical Association, 263, 3155-3159.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mahoney, C., Thombs, D., & Ford, O. (1995). Health beliefs and self-efficacy models: Their utility in explaining college student condom use. AIDS Education and Prevention, 7, 32-49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maibach, E., & Murphy, D. A. (1995). Self-efficacy in health promotion research and practice: Conceptualization and measurement. Health Education Research, 10, 37-50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marín, B., Gómez, C., & Hearst, N. (1993). Multiple heterosexual partners and condom use among Hispanics and non-Hispanic Whites. Family Planning Perspectives, 25, 170-174.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marín, B., Gómez, C., & Tschann, J. (1993). Condom use among Hispanic men with secondary female sexual partners. Public Health Reports, 108, 742-750.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marín, G., & Marín, B. (1991). Research with Hispanic Population. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marín, G., & Marín, B. (1992). Predictors of condom accessibility among Hispanics in San Francisco. American Journal of Public Health, 82, 592-595.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marín, B., Tschann, J., Gómez, C., & Kegeles, S. (1993). Acculturation and gender differences in sexual attitudes and behaviors: A comparison of Hispanic and non-Hispanic White single adults. American Journal of Public Health, 83, 1759-1761.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meredith, W. (1993). Measurement invariance, factor analysis and factorial invariance. Psychometrika, 58, 525-543.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, D., Multhauf, K., & Kalichman, S. (1995, January). Development and validation of a graded, safe-sex self-efficacy scale. Behavior Therapist, pp. 8-10.

  • Muthén, B., & Kaplan, D. (1985). A comparison of some methodologies for the factor analysis of non-normal Likert variables. British Journal of Mathematical and Statistical Psychology, 38, 171-189.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nagelkerke, N. (1991). A note on the general definition of the coefficient of determination. Biometrika, 78, 691-692.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Center for Health Statistics & Ventura, S. J. (1988). Births of Hispanic parentage, 1985. Monthly Vital Statistics Report (DHHS Publication No. PHS 88-1120). Hyattsville, MD: Public Health Services.

    Google Scholar 

  • O'Leary, A., Goodhart, F., Jemmott, L., & Boccher-Lattimore, D. (1992). Predictors of safer sex on the college campus: A social cognitive theory analysis. Journal of American College Health, 40, 254-263.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pavich, E. G. (1986) A Chicano perspective on Mexican culture and sexuality. Journal of Social Work and Human Sexuality, 4, 47-65.

    Google Scholar 

  • Potter, L. B., & Anderson, J. E. (1993). Patterns of condom use and sexual behavior among never-married women. Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 20, 201-208.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rolfs, R. T., & Nakashima, A. K. (1990). Epidemiology of primary and secondary syphilis in the United States, 1981 through 1989. Journal of the American Medical Association, 264, 1432-1437.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmid, G. P., Sanders, L. L., Blount, J. H., & Alexander, E. R. (1987). Chancroid in the United States: Reestablishment of an old disease. Journal of the American Medical Association, 258, 3265-3268.

    Google Scholar 

  • Selik, R., Castro, K., & Pappaioanou, M. (1988). Racial/ethnic differences in risk of AIDS. American Journal of Public Health, 78, 1539-1545.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, K. W., McGraw, S. A., Costa, L. A., & McKinlay, J. B. (1996). A self-efficacy scale for HIV risk behaviors: Development and evaluation. AIDS Education and Prevention, 8, 97-105.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steiger, J. H. (1990). Structural model evaluation and modification: An interval estimation approach. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 25, 173-180.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steiger, J. H., & Lind, J. M. (1980). Statistically based tests for the number of common factors. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Psychometric Society, Iowa City, Iowa.

  • Tanfer, K., Grady, W., Klepinger, D., & Billy, J. (1993). Condom use among men. Family Planning Perspectives, 25, 61-66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Waksberg, J. (1978). Sampling methods for random digit dialing. Journal of the American Statistical Association, 73, 40-46.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walter, H. J., Vaughan, R. D., Gladis, M. M., Ragin, D. F., Kasen, S., & Cohall, A. T. (1992). Factors associated with AIDS risk behaviors among high school students in an AIDS epicenter. American Journal of Public Health, 82, 528-532.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wulfert, E., & Wan, C. (1993). Condom use: A self-efficacy model. Health Psychology, 12, 346-353.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Marín, B.V., Tschann, J.M., Gómez, C.A. et al. Self-Efficacy to Use Condoms in Unmarried Latino Adults. Am J Community Psychol 26, 53–71 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021882107615

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021882107615

Navigation